VfB Stuttgart suffered a 1-0 home defeat to Borussia Dortmund, leaving them stuck in 14th place with just three points from four Bundesliga games. Maximilian Beier's 70th-minute winner sealed Stuttgart's third loss of the season and highlighted their persistent issues in front of goal.
Sebastian Hoeneß's side started bravely and created the first good chance through Serhou Guirassy from a corner in the 27th minute. Just four minutes later, Deniz Undav missed a clear opportunity after a pass from Julian Ryerson. Bilal El Khannouss also headed wide shortly after. Dortmund, meanwhile, remained largely quiet until Konstantinos Karetsas forced the first save in the 70th minute. From the resulting corner, Jobe Bellingham set up Maximilian Beier to slot home the decisive goal.
Kobel secures the points
Stuttgart pushed desperately for an equaliser after falling behind. Josha Vagnoman, currently the team's top scorer with two goals this season, was denied by Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel in the 60th and again in the 77th minute. Kobel had already saved a shot from Undav in the first half, securing a narrow victory for his side. Germany national team coach Jürgen Klopp, referencing squad selection, said after the match that "the door remains open for everyone." Seven players from Stuttgart and Dortmund were in Klopp's considerations, though he opted for other forwards for the time being. Regarding Undav, Klopp stated, "Deniz has had his problems so far, he hasn't really found his way into the season."
The loss is Stuttgart's second in a row, following a 2-1 defeat at TSG Hoffenheim. Their record after four matchdays stands at one win and three defeats. With six goals scored and nine conceded, the team has a goal difference of minus three. The gap to new leaders Borussia Dortmund, who returned to the summit for the first time since May 2023 with this win, is already nine points. A look at the full standings reveals the difficult situation.
The next chance to break the negative streak comes on Saturday at 3:30 pm with an away fixture against 16th-placed SC Paderborn. Checking the upcoming fixtures shows the international break follows thereafter. Hoeneß must find a solution for their finishing woes before then to avoid losing touch with their rivals. The team travels to Paderborn with the bitter realisation that, despite promising spells, they once again came away empty-handed against Dortmund.
The report in full is at Tagesschau
